1. Field of the Invention
Implementations of various technologies described herein generally relate to various methods and/or systems for locating components in a Leak Detection And Repair (LDAR) program.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples do not constitute an admission as prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Industrial plants that handle volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sometimes experience unwanted emissions of those compounds into the atmosphere from point sources, such as smokestacks, and non-point sources, such as valves, pumps, and/or vessels containing the VOCs. Emissions from non-point sources typically occur due to leakage of the VOCs from joints and/or seals and may be referred to herein as “fugitive emissions”. Fugitive emissions from valves typically occur as leakage through the packing set around the valve stem.
Most industrial plants have established an LDAR program to detect if any fugitive emissions are being released into the atmosphere. Given the obscure locations of many of these potential emission sources, technicians usually experience major difficulties in locating all of the LDAR components.
Further, there are security risks involved with storing the locations of hazardous gas/chemical equipment where LDAR components are positioned on an unsecured database.